I Run Away Like Mercury
by kutabe
Summary: "I don't want you to think I do these things I do because of you." Sometimes the person you desire most of all is the person you hate more than anything. What happens when mutual feelings of hate and lust entangle? How long can those feelings coexist before they are transformed? Hozuki and Hakutaku deal with the aftermath of their drunken one-night stand.
1. A Rude Awakening

Darkness. Swirling darkness all around him, and in the distance a familiar figure.

 _Hozuki?_

He runs, reaches out to touch him, but the figure is gone.

"Hakutaku!"

Hakutaku wakes up with a start. Momotaro is standing beside his bed, hands on his shoulders. Blurry eyes search the room, comfortable, familiar, the same as it had been for centuries. Hakutaku was at home.

"It's 3 pm. The shop is very busy today, I can't handle it on my own. Please, will you come and help serve the customers?"

Hakutaku was still half asleep, but he nodded and began to get up — stopping when something shifted inside of him. From behind.

 _Oh, fuck._

Images flashed in his mind, his brain finally recollecting the memories of the night before, memories Hakutaku would rather forget. It didn't seem so bad when he was horny and drunk out of his mind, but sober, with the light of day shining over his head and Momotaro standing beside him? He'd rather he'd just been beaten by Hozuki and died.

"I'll just get dressed and then come," Hakutaku said, smiling at Momotaro. He had to give the illusion of normalcy. No one could know about this. Momotaro nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

Once he was gone, Hakutaku let out a long, drawn-out groan. He'd slipped on a shirt last night, apparently, but failed to put on pants before falling asleep. And there was come in his ass. And on the bedsheets.

 _Did Momotaro notice?_

He probably wouldn't say anything even if he did, not that it mattered, he'd just assume it was the aftermath of bringing some girl over. Hakutaku's body...that would be harder to explain.

Hakutaku was covered in both bruises, scratches, lovebites, and actual bites; there was no way Momotaro would assume a girl did this. Hozuki had...marked him. Everywhere.

"How am I supposed to pick up girls like this?" Hakutaku groaned, inspecting himself. "It'll scare them all off." Poking a bruise on his arm and wincing, Hakutaku walked to the bathroom to clean himself up. After finishing, he dressed, and changed the bedsheets, removing any trace of the night before. Now he could pretend it never happened. Satisfied, he left his room and walked through the door to the pharmacy.

A familiar face greeted him as he entered the room.

"Lilith?"

"Hakutaku! You look…" She narrowed her eyes. "Rested. I was visiting Japanese Hell and thought I'd stop by your place. Do you have time for a chat?"

Hakutaku forced a smile; he was lucky this came so naturally to him. Most people wouldn't notice anything was wrong. Most.

"Of course I have time for you," he said, bringing her around back to the door to the living area. "Taotaro, you'll watch the shop for me, won't you?"

Momotaro looked exasperated but said no word in protest. Lilith gave him a charming smile before following Hakutaku through the door.

As soon as they were alone, Lilith ripped down Hakutaku's collar, exposing multiple hickeys travelling from his neck to his collarbone and below.

"I didn't expect you to be interested in the possessive type," she said with a curious smile, "You'd better be careful. I've had men like that before and they're never as fun as they initially seem to be."

"It was just the heat of the moment," Hakutaku replied, straightening his collar, and adjusting it to cover the marks. "It doesn't really mean anything except I can't see other girls for a while. Not for long, my body heals quickly."

Lilith still had that smile on her face, her eyes showing clear interest. Perhaps it was a mistake to invite her in, he certainly wasn't prepared to be grilled about the previous night. But it wasn't in his nature to refuse an invitation from a lady.

"No, those were put there with purpose. Trust me, I know these things. Woman's intuition. Somebody wants you all to herself."

Hakutaku was tired and knew he couldn't explain. He wouldn't be surprised if a girl had motives like that, but last night's companion was doing it thoughtlessly — and even if he wasn't, the only other reason Hozuki would have was to inconvenience Hakutaku. Hakutaku knew Hozuki looked down on him for his frivolous take on relationships, and if he had the opportunity to ruin Hakutaku's chances with a girl, he'd definitely take it. Now Hakutaku was wondering if he really had done it on purpose.

"I assume they're not just on your neck," Lilith continued, giving Hakutaku a once-over. "You can't exactly take girls home looking like that…luckily, I'm not the type to mind that sort of thing. Can I meet you tonight?" she asked, stroking his arm.

Normally Hakutaku would jump at a request from Lilith, but he was conflicted today. He was still sore from the night before, in more ways than one, not to mention feeling mentally out of it. Then again, this could be just what he needed to get Hozuki and last night out of his mind. A distraction.

"Of course," Hakutaku replied with a smile. Maybe this night would overwrite the events of the night before. He'd do anything just to forget.

—

The next morning, Hakutaku felt even worse than before. Clearly having Lilith over was a mistake, his body ached even more than it had the previous day, and his night with Lilith did nothing to help him forget the memories Hozuki had left with him. It was nothing he couldn't cover up with a carefree smile, of course, but it was still unpleasant. Even so, he served his customers as normal.

"If you're free next week, would you like to come play with me?" Hakutaku leaned against the counter, smiling at the petite girl before him. _That's right,_ he thought. He was still himself in spite of what happened, and he couldn't let the events of that night get in the way of his enjoyment of life. He just had to move past it. He imagined Hozuki was probably doing the same thing; there was no way that stone-cold demon would let one drunken night affect him or his work.

 _Then again, he wasn't the one who was practically mauled that night,_ Hakutaku thought bitterly, though not allowing it to reach his face.

"Ah, um, I have a boyfriend…" the girl nervously replied, blushing and looking away from Hakutaku. It was a line Hakutaku heard a lot, but from experience, he knew it was by no means a hard no.

"That's too bad; the offer still stands if you change your mind."

Suddenly arms reached in front of him, holding out a brown paper bag.

"I'm sorry that took so long, here's what you were looking for, miss." Momotaro gave an apologetic smile as the girl took the bag.

"Thank you." She bowed her head before turning to the door, avoiding Hakutaku's eyes, face still slightly flushed.

"Come again!" Hakutaku called out.

Momotaro watched his boss carefully, concern etched on his face. He had lived with Hakutaku for quite a while by this point and was more perceptive than he appeared. Usually, he'd be annoyed at the constant flirting that bordered on sexual harassment, but he knew there was definitely something off about Hakutaku despite his usual cheery demeanour.

"Hakutaku, are you okay? If you're not feeling well you can rest and I can handle the shop today."

Hakutaku froze for a second before reverting to normal, the reaction short enough that Momotaro believed he could've imagined it.

"Ah, you're so kind, Taotaro. But I'm perfectly fine." In a way, it wasn't a lie. His body would probably be completely recovered by tomorrow; the healing capabilities of a celestial beast were quite impressive. His mind, however…that might take awhile. He didn't want to admit that Hozuki could get under his skin this way, but Hakutaku hadn't slept with a man in centuries; it was just too much that his first time in a long time happened to be with his enemy.

 _I let myself get fucked by my enemy._

Remembering himself submissively squirming with pleasure on Hozuki's cock made him feel sick to his stomach. He forced back a grimace and instead turned his focus to the list of orders that were to be picked up that day.

 _Hozuki_

Of course, _his_ name had to be on the list.

"What time is Hozuki coming today?" Hakutaku asked, not bothering to mask the annoyance on his face.

"Oh, he already picked up his order. You were still asleep," Momotaro replied.

"Really? He never comes that early. Was the shop even open?"

"He called in the day before and asked if he could stop by before opening hours. He must've had a busy schedule. I didn't think you'd want to see him anyway if you could help it, so I told him it was okay."

Hakutaku was surprised. Busy schedule? Hozuki always had a busy schedule and had never made a request like that. Hozuki wasn't busy. He was avoiding him.

Hakutaku knew that Hozuki hated running into him and that he didn't go to Togenkyo often if he could help it for that very reason, but he'd never gone so out of his way to avoid meeting Hakutaku.

Hakutaku felt strange. He was relieved that he didn't have to face Hozuki; the man irritated him enough under normal circumstances, let alone…this situation. But being avoided pissed him off too. Was he running away? He felt a sudden flash of anger.

 _Take responsibility!_

It was a childish thought, but Hakutaku didn't care. Hozuki was being childish too, anyway. He brushed past Momotaro, heading for the bathroom.

"Call me when someone else comes in!" Hakutaku called out, before shutting and locking the door.

Hakutaku splashed cold water on his face, then looked in the mirror. Tired eyes stared back at him. How was he supposed to flirt with girls looking like that? His whole world had turned upside down. Sighing, he sat on the edge of the empty tub, leaned down and held his head in his hands.

 _Goddamn that demon._


	2. Restless Sleep

In the past, dreams did not come often to Hozuki, and when they did they were usually fairly mundane. Nightmares, altogether, he'd stopped having ages ago.

Lately, though, he'd been plagued by dreams that stirred up feelings inside of him that he'd much rather leave alone. The dream he had the night before perhaps wouldn't be called a nightmare, but it was unpleasant. Hakutaku's face appeared to him over and over again, calling his name in varying voices: bitterness, anger, frustration, contempt, and finally the one that shook him the most, a voice he had never heard until that night —

" _Hozuki!"_

Hozuki's eyes snapped open. He was dazed for a second, before memories of the previous night flooded through his mind. His brows furrowed as hazy images became clearer, enough that he remembered who exactly had initiated their little tryst.

 _Oh._

How much sake did he have? He remembered King Enma insisting he come along drinking with him since the next day was his day off. Hozuki had gone along with it since he was already in a bit of a mood and thought the alcohol would take the edge off. Apparently, it took _too_ much off, as he'd assaulted Hakutaku as soon as he laid eyes on him.

Ah. Hakutaku.

Hozuki hated him. The man was completely insufferable, shamelessly coming onto women, playing with them, then forgetting all about them to move on to the next girl. He'd go out drinking and get completely wasted so regularly it was practically a hobby for him. It seemed he lived his life for nothing but sex and alcohol and didn't appear to harbour any guilt or shame in the things he did. What was worse was he did all of this with the same face as Hozuki, who didn't want to be even remotely associated with someone like that.

The dreams started out like mundane ones he'd always had, only Hakutaku appeared more often to argue with Hozuki. Hozuki would beat him around a bit, and that was that. It was simple. However this didn't last, and after about a week they began evolving into something different, something Hozuki didn't understand.

Of course, everyone had sex dreams, but Hozuki generally didn't. He wouldn't say he was entirely disinterested in sex, but it really wasn't a priority for him — certainly not in the way it was a priority for Hakutaku, at least. He had a passing interest in women and felt nothing for men, and he wasn't looking for any kind of relationship at the moment. So why did he keep having these dreams?

It went on for quite a while, and the dreams gradually became more explicit. He found himself looking at Hakutaku in a way he hadn't before — the pink curve of his lips, his collarbones peeking out from under his shirt when he bent over, his slim waist, the slip of his tummy when he raised his arms to yawn — it was all very…distracting. Hozuki knew it was just a result of his dreams, however, so he ignored the thoughts and carried on like normal.

It was rather easy at first, but as the dreams increased in frequency Hozuki became more and more frustrated. They were becoming more vivid as well, and Hozuki found himself angry that Hakutaku had gotten into his head, that he couldn't even avoid him anymore by not going to Togenkyo. He was always there, without fail, every night. Hozuki began taking it out on Hakutaku, beating him with more force, inflicting even more pain than before.

His frustration came to a head the night he went drinking with King Enma. He was so sick of seeing Hakutaku, he thought if he drank enough he might be so tired and wasted he wouldn't dream. It was irresponsible, and not something he'd usually do, but Hozuki always found he'd lose himself whenever Hakutaku was involved.

Of course, Hozuki hadn't planned on running into the very man that was the cause of his troubles that night.

Hozuki was on his way home when he'd spotted a familiar face being bashed in by a very large man in an alleyway. Before he knew what he was doing, he found himself beating the man to a bloody pulp with his club. After the man ran away, Hozuki turned his attention to the other man, no longer pressed against the wall. He felt a small spark of recognition and swung his club, sending the man backwards, hard against the brick. As he was hitting him, he gazed at the pink curve of his lips and the exposed skin of his collar and chest from his shirt coming undone. He looked at that slim waist, and the irritated face that was about to say something snarky to him. Hozuki knew who this was.

He kissed him anyway.

Hakutaku had resisted at first, struggling against his grip, but it didn't take long for him to relent and kiss Hozuki back with equal passion…which lead to the other events of the evening.

—

Hozuki grimaced as he remembered his actions. He was by no means a lightweight, in fact, until the night before, he wasn't even certain he could become drunk. How much alcohol did it take?

 _And how much did it cost?_ Hozuki wondered. He had to take that into account when doing his bookkeeping. Had King Enma paid for it?

Hozuki's head hurt. He closed his eyes and decided he would deal with all of that later, making a mental note to give King Enma some payback for allowing him to drink himself into that state. For the moment, Hozuki wanted nothing more than a night of dreamless sleep.

—

Hozuki woke up the next day at 5:00 am sharp. That would give him plenty of time to get dressed, go to Togenkyo, pick up King Enma's order at the pharmacy, and leave without having to see Hakutaku. He'd called the shop the day before, thankfully received by Momotaro, and asked if he could stop by before opening hours.

Hozuki wasn't sure how to feel. Perhaps some would call this cowardice, perhaps he would too. It didn't matter. He just knew he couldn't look Hakutaku in the eyes after what happened the night before last, or at least he didn't want to. Not for now anyway, not until he sorted things out in his mind. He assumed Hakutaku wouldn't want to see him either, so it worked out for both of them this way.

After dressing, Hozuki grabbed a taxi and headed to Hakutaku's shop in Togenkyo. Momotaro was obviously tired when he opened the door, but greeted Hozuki politely, and went to fetch the medicine the demon had come to collect.

Hozuki found himself glancing at the door leading to Hakutaku and Momotaro's living space, wondering if Hakutaku would hear the noise from the shop and come out.

Time passed.

He didn't.

"Here you go. Busy day today?" Momotaro asked, handing the paper bag to Hozuki.

With a job like his, Hozuki was always busy, but truth be told, today had a lighter load than most. He couldn't tell Momotaro that, though, of course.

"Yes. I wanted to squeeze this into my schedule while still allowing time for my other obligations. Thank you for accommodating."

"It's no problem." Momotaro lead Hozuki to the exit, and Hozuki took one last glance at the door to Hakutaku's home before stepping outside into the pale morning light.

—

"You certainly did a number on me yesterday, Hozuki!" King Enma said when Hozuki returned. "If I knew you gave back massages like that, I wouldn't have asked you!"

Hozuki took the pain medicine out of the bag he was holding and offered it to Enma. "Would you like me to apply it?"

"Please, no, I can do it myself!" Enma said, fear apparent in his voice. "I would almost guess you were angry at me, Hozuki."

"What reason would I have to be angry?" Hozuki asked, tone characteristically unreadable. "Though if you'd allow me, if there is any of that ointment left after you're done, I would like to use some. I've had a splitting headache since the night I went out drinking with you; I think next time, I'll bring someone along who can stop me from drinking to that extent." His tone wasn't overtly accusatory, but Enma understood.

Enma waved his hands around frantically. "Oh, Hozuki, I'm sorry I didn't stop you from drinking so much sake! It's just you usually don't indulge yourself very much, I thought I would let you enjoy your night without nagging." Enma looked at the ground sheepishly. "To be frank, you looked like you needed it. I don't know what's going on with you, you're so serious and reserved, but lately you've seemed a bit on edge. I figured one night of heavy drinking wouldn't hurt you."

Hozuki paused. Was his frustration that apparent? Hozuki was an expert in stoicism, normally nobody could tell what he was thinking. He was a bit irritated that his feelings had been so visible. Had anyone else noticed?

"Don't worry, it wasn't anything obvious," Enma continued, as if reading Hozuki's mind. "I think I could tell because we work so closely. It didn't affect your work at all, but you shouldn't neglect your health either. Please tell me if you need to take a few days off."

Hozuki nodded. "I'm fine, but thank you for your concern."

He was fine. He just needed to make sure he didn't get too distracted.

—

 _Hozuki seems distracted,_ was the thought on everybody's mind. It was a rare sight to see, the ever-so-diligent and conscientious Hozuki forgetting things, bumping into things, and doing things wrong. The look on his face never betrayed his thoughts, but his actions were telling enough — something else was on his mind.

Hozuki tried his best to focus on the tasks at hand, but often found himself spacing out — something he never, ever did. Everything managed to be completed of course, but not with the efficiency that was characteristic of the demon. Nobody dared to ask him what was wrong, but they all kept a concerned eye on their superior.

Finally, after lunch, Oko found Hozuki in a spare moment.

"Hozuki, do you need to rest today? I know you're the reason things run so smoothly around here, but I don't think the place will fall apart if you're gone for a day. I've never seen you like this before; if you're sick you should care for your health first and foremost."

"Thank you, Oko, but I'm feeling fine." Hozuki replied coolly.

Oko furrowed her brows, a worried expression on her face. Hozuki could tell Oko was genuinely concerned, and though his first instinct was to politely brush her off, he found himself sighing and giving in.

"...I've been having strange dreams lately. They're making it difficult for me to focus on work."

"Oh dear," Oko said, "What kind of dreams?"

Hozuki paused. He certainly couldn't tell anyone the type of dreams he was having, and definitely not to a lady. It wasn't appropriate.

"Dreams that make me uncomfortable," Hozuki replied, keeping his description as vague as possible. "They…make me feel a certain way I'm not used to. They're very vivid, to the point where they feel almost real. They frustrate and confuse me."

Oko rested her hand under her chin and looked down in thought. "Maybe it's about something you're avoiding? If it makes you uncomfortable and you don't face it in waking life, it may show up in your dreams. Something you're afraid of, perhaps?" She looked up at Hozuki, cocking her head to the side slightly. "Or contrarily, something you desire?"

They were silent for a moment before Hozuki spoke.

"...Thank you, Oko. I'll keep that in mind."

"Of course. I hope you feel better, Hozuki." Oko gave him a gentle smile before walking off.

Once she was gone, Hozuki sighed.

 _Thank you, Oko, but that may have made things worse._

—

At the end of the day, Hozuki found himself unable to sleep, preoccupied with thoughts of his conversation with Oko.

Did Hozuki…desire Hakutaku? The very thought was appalling to him. Hozuki had nothing against those who were attracted to the same sex, but he had never desired a man before and Hakutaku, in particular, was the last person he'd ever imagine seeing that way.

His mind, however, clearly had other ideas if those dreams were anything to go by.

Though it wasn't just within the dreams either. For a while now Hozuki knew he had been looking at Hakutaku differently than he had before.

 _In just what way was I looking at him?_

Truthfully, Hozuki wasn't disgusted by that night. Or he was, a little bit, but only with himself and the fact that he'd slept with someone he despised. Everything else about it had felt…good. Hakutaku's soft lips and tongue, the heat of his body pressed against his, Hozuki's name spilling from his lips over and over like a mantra, begging for more…

Oh.

He was hard.

Hozuki sighed. He didn't touch himself often, and when he did it was mostly because he _had_ to; he wasn't completely taken over by lust the way a certain white beast was. This seemed to be a good opportunity to test his theory, however, so Hozuki decided to go along with it.

Reaching lower to grasp his length in his hand, Hozuki began thinking of that night with Hakutaku. He remembered Hakutaku's mouth, their lips pressed together and tongues intertwining as Hakutaku let out little gasps of pleasure at Hozuki's knee grinding into his crotch. He imagined taking him right then and there, pressing Hakutaku against the wall and fucking him where anyone could walk by. Girls could spot them and see the immortal casanova moaning wildly in his hands, tears in his eyes partly due to embarrassment and partly from pleasure. Would Hakutaku stop him in that scenario? Or would he find himself so lost in pleasure that he couldn't bring himself to?

Hozuki picked up the pace, his breathing becoming more ragged. He brought himself back to his memory of Hakutaku's room. How Hakutaku had stretched himself open for him, had taken him so well. How he grasped Hozuki in desperation, clawing at his back. The way his mouth opened in an O as he moaned and came.

Hozuki shuddered and came in his hand. His mind blanked for a minute before he came down from his high and the reality of the situation hit him.

 _This is the way I was looking at Hakutaku._

Hozuki stared at his ceiling, the exhaustion of the day finally hitting him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this tired. At least he was certain of one thing, however — there was no way he could visit Hakutaku's shop again.


	3. A Sense Of Normal

Weeks passed and Hozuki still avoided Hakutaku. Hakutaku hadn't quite seen this coming; with Hozuki's cool-headed and unwavering composure he'd half expected the demon to come marching in the following morning acting as if nothing had happened. Instead, he'd been sending different hell minions to pick up orders from the pharmacy, a task he typically completed himself. Hakutaku was getting a bit irritated.

"Hakutaku? You're squeezing that fruit in your hand," Momotaro pointed out.

Hakutaku looked down, and let go of the peach. _Oh._

"I was just lost in thought," Hakutaku said, the forced smile on his face betraying his real emotions.

Momotaro didn't question him further, instead heading to the door and slinging a bag over his shoulder. "I'm off to get those ingredients now," he said. Hakutaku waved goodbye before letting out a deep sigh.

Hakutaku couldn't say he missed getting into arguments or being beaten up by Hozuki, but this weird silence they had between them seemed to travel with him whether or not the demon was near. Hakutaku could feel the tension that had risen ever since that night, the tension that only became thicker and harder to ignore the longer Hozuki went without seeing him. Hakutaku didn't want to face Hozuki, but he also needed some kind of closure from him rather than just being…ignored.

Shortly after Momotaro left, a demon woman walked in. She was tall with the figure of a model and had long wavy black hair that reached her waist — _beautiful,_ Hakutaku noted, as she approached the counter.

"Hello, I heard about your shop from a friend. I'm just looking for some cough medicine," the woman said, letting out an obviously fake cough.

"Of course. We have some right here." Hakutaku took a bottle off one of the shelves and handed it to her with a smile.

"Thank you," she said, reaching into her purse to pay, before pausing. "You know…my friend said there was a very handsome man who ran this place. I have to say I'm not disappointed."

Hakutaku gave her a smile. "I'm flattered," he replied. The woman gently touched his arm.

 _Any man would love to hear that from a woman as beautiful as you._

She ran her hand up his sleeve.

 _If you'd like, you should stop by again. I'd love to take a walk with around the peach trees. I know a more…private area._

She reached his shoulder and looked at him expectantly.

 _Say it._

Silence.

"I'll be going now, then," the woman said after a moment, taking her hand off Hakutaku and leaving some money on the counter. "I'll be back, though. I get sick…rather easily." She gave one last flirtatious glance, then walked out the door.

Hakutaku stood stunned by the counter for a good minute.

What the fuck.

 _What the fuck?_

He resisted the urge to yell it out loud. Why hadn't he said anything to her? She obviously wanted him, it would've been so easy to get her into bed. He'd hardly have to do anything. Yet he'd stayed silent. Luckily the woman said she'd be back so it wasn't like he'd completely screwed over his chances, but Hakutaku was still taken aback. He was glad Momotaro wasn't home to see that strange display; if he'd been there for it Hakutaku would be questioned for sure.

" _Why didn't you say anything?"_

It was a question Hakutaku didn't know the answer to himself. He'd been feeling off lately, but he'd never been so off that he'd failed to flirt with a girl. Failed _at_ flirting, sure, that happened more than he'd like to admit, but failed _to_ flirt? He wasn't sure he could even be considered the same person.

Hakutaku couldn't leave himself like this, a shell of the man he once was. He had to do something to bring himself back to normal — and there was one place that would be perfect for that.

—

After drinking a bit, Hakutaku stumbled through the streets of Jigoku's pleasure district until he came to a familiar shop _._ He could hear laughter and clinking glasses from inside.

"Hakutaku! It's been a while since you were last here." Dakki greeted him at the entrance with her typical flirtatious and mischievous smile. "Shall I find a seat for you inside? We have some beautiful girls free right now." She gestured to the tables and booths within the club, then caught Hakutaku's expression. "Or…" she continued, gently touching Hakutaku's arm, "Shall I accompany you to Togenkyo?"

"I'd like that," Hakutaku said, holding out his arm for her to take. _This should be enough to make me snap out of whatever weird mood I've been in since that night,_ he thought. Dakki was very talented, after all.

Hakutaku hailed a cab and the two headed to his home in Togenkyo.

—

The morning came quickly. "I'll leave the bill on the table," Dakki said, knocking on the bedroom door to wake Hakutaku up. "It was a pleasure seeing you again."

Hakutaku was groggy with sleep, not to mention hungover, so he only barely processed what Dakki had said to him. After a moment, Momotaro came bounding into his room, not bothering to knock on his door.

"Hakutaku! You paid for Dakki _again?_ You know how expensive she is!" he exclaimed.

"I found the money for her last time," Hakutaku replied, groaning and rubbing his temples. He had a headache.

"Only because there was an emergency in Jigoku that you happened to have the solution to! It was out of luck!" Momotaro was exasperated. His boss was unbelievable.

"I needed this," Hakutaku mumbled, getting out of bed.

"You ne—wait! Put some clothes on!"

Hakutaku looked down. Oh, right. Momotaro shielded his eyes but continued speaking.

"I know you're my boss, and if you want to make irresponsible decisions like going out and drinking until you're sick or playing around with girls and getting beaten by them or their boyfriends, I can't really stop you. But please don't put yourself in debt!"

Hakutaku finished dressing, then got up.

"I know. I'll find the money." He walked past Momotaro and opened the door that lead to the shop. "I'm going for a walk."

Momotaro opened his eyes and turned around to look at Hakutaku, "What about the shop?"

"We shouldn't be too busy today, it's nothing you can't handle on your own." With that, he walked out the door.

—

It was sunny outside, as it always was in Togenkyo. The grass glistened with morning dew, and rabbits worked busily around the peach trees.

Hakutaku's mood, however, did not match the weather at all. He walked gloomily through the trees, thinking about the previous night, thinking about how it hadn't helped at all. Even though Dakki was indeed very talented, somehow nothing she did was enough. Hakutaku had never woken up so unsatisfied after a night with a beautiful girl.

Suddenly, he froze in his tracks. The figure in front of him stopped too, and they found themselves staring at each other for a good minute. Hakutaku was taken aback, but the other man seemed to be completely unphased.

"Hakubuta," Hozuki greeted him coolly.

—

 _Perhaps this was a mistake,_ Hozuki thought.

He gazed at Hakutaku in the morning light, taking in the dark circles under his eyes, his dishevelled clothing, his collar that was still undone, the dark lovebites on his exposed neck.

 _It looks like he had a girl over,_ Hozuki thought, slightly irritated. Hozuki had been fretting over that night for weeks while Hakutaku was perfectly fine, inviting girls over to play around with him like he always did.

Hakutaku glared at Hozuki suddenly, as if snapped out of a trance.

"Why are _you_ here?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Use your brain, why do you think? I'm here to buy some medicine." Hozuki replied, the annoyance clear in his voice. "If you'd get out of my way, I can go see Momotaro and do that, and you can continue following your lower half wherever it leads you." He stared pointedly at the dark marks on Hakutaku's neck. Hakutaku adjusted his collar.

"Well don't stare, you pervert, it's none of your business what I get up to in my free time."

"Who is the pervert, me, or the one walking around outside like that?"

"You hardly have room to talk after the state you left me in that night."

There was a pause, and Hakutaku suddenly clamped his mouth shut. He'd broken the fragile normalcy they'd managed to return to for a brief moment.

Hozuki's expression, however, didn't change at all. He simply brushed past Hakutaku, walking in the direction of the shop, not saying a word.

 _Yes. This was a mistake after all._

—

Hakutaku needed a drink. Hozuki had left to get his medicine, and thankfully Hakutaku hadn't run into him again after that, but the situation still left him on edge. Why did he have to blurt out something like that? If he'd stayed quiet, he and Hozuki would've continued their silent agreement not to talk about the night they spent together, and everything would've been just fine. Awkward, certainly, but fine, and after time even the awkwardness would pass. Now, however, things were more awkward than ever. Hozuki would probably go back to avoiding him, and he would have to do the same. It wasn't like Hakutaku _wanted_ to see Hozuki, but leaving things like this felt uncomfortable and unfulfilling. Hakutaku just wanted the comfort of everything going back to the way it was before.

Hakutaku had gone out drinking the night before, but he decided he would go out again after the store's closing. He would drink, pick up a girl, go home, and forget about Hozuki. It was simple and he'd done it a million times before.

At 9 pm sharp, Hakutaku grabbed Momotaro and dragged him to his favourite bar in Jigoku.

At 9 am sharp, Hakutaku woke up naked next to Hozuki.


	4. What You Want

Hozuki knew he shouldn't have gone to Togenkyo. He'd been avoiding all errands there for weeks, and it had worked for him…somewhat. He still found himself distracted at work, and there was something unsatisfactory about leaving things the way they were, avoiding things. That was the reason he had decided to run the errand himself and go to Togenkyo for the first time in ages. He thought if he could have one normal conversation with Hakutaku after the events of that night, then maybe, just maybe, it meant things could go back to the way they were. A silent agreement of sorts, something he knew Hakutaku wanted as well.

When he saw Hakutaku, he didn't know why he was surprised. Of course, the lecherous beast would have no problem going back to playing around with girls, their night together long-forgotten.

Was Hozuki…disappointed?

 _Only because it appears I was the only one affected by it._

Other than that, things seemed to be going exactly as planned — that is until Hakutaku had blurted it out: _"You hardly have room to talk after the state you left me in that night."_ Hakutaku seemed to regret those words the moment they left his mouth; the very air around them seemed to freeze. The man was visibly uncomfortable with the unintentional reminder he himself had let slip, quickly averting his eyes, whole body stiff.

Should Hozuki say something? What was there to say to that? He certainly didn't want to apologize to Hakutaku, he hated the man and there was no way he'd give him the satisfaction, even in this situation. It wasn't as if he was entirely responsible anyway, Hakutaku had invited Hozuki into his home and bed himself. They'd both wanted it that night.

It felt almost strange seeing Hakutaku like this again, back to the shameless womanizer he typically was. He was so obedient in bed in comparison, begging so nicely for Hozuki's cock and moaning like an animal. Hozuki could hardly believe they were the same person.

After a moment of silence, Hozuki simply walked past Hakutaku to pick up the medicine he had come for. There was no need for that conversation to go on any longer.

—

At the end of the day, King Enma and several coworkers wanted to go drinking again to celebrate the engagement of one of the demon officials.

"I promise I won't let you drink so much this time, Hozuki!" he said, "We'd really like you to come along!"

It wasn't like Hozuki had any other plans for the night. The bar they were going to was Hakutaku's favourite drinking spot, but he doubted the man would visit Jigoku right after his encounter with Hozuki that morning.

Or so he thought.

When they arrived, there Hakutaku was, one hand clutching a bottle of sake and the other arm slung over a demon girl's shoulders.

"Haha, yes, I have a pharmacy in Togenkyo! I practice Chinese medicine. You should stop by. I could take you there tonight, you know."

 _Shameless,_ Hozuki thought. Enma noticed Hakutaku's presence as well and looked at Hozuki apologetically.

"Don't pay any mind to him, Hozuki, just enjoy your night."

"How am I supposed to enjoy my night with a loud idiot three tables over?"

A server set down a bottle of sake and a few cups, and Enma poured some for himself and Hozuki, who tried his best to ignore Hakutaku, to some success.

Not ten minutes later, however, a slap rang throughout the room, as the demon girl Hakutaku was with stormed off with a huff. He sat there for a moment, dumbfounded, but the slap seemed to have brought some clarity to his drunken mind, as he finally noticed Hozuki sitting at the end of the room, and began walking toward him, an angry expression on his face.

"...Hozuki?" Enma asked, leaning to whisper in Hozuki's ear, "I know he doesn't like you, but don't you think he looks a little _too_ angry?"

" _Hozuki!"_ Hakutaku shouted when he'd reached the demon, "I need to talk to you!"

"I have no intention of following you out that door, Hakubuta, so say whatever you need to say here." While Hozuki was patient, he was not patient enough to listen to a drunk Hakutaku yelling nonsense at him. If Hakutaku caused enough of a disturbance they'd have to kick him out.

Hakutaku narrowed his eyes. "Fine," he replied, "If that's what you want." He took a deep breath before yelling loudly, "HOZUKI AND I HAD S—"

Hozuki clamped a hand over Hakutaku's mouth and dragged him outside the bar.

When they'd come to a sufficiently secluded spot, he glared at Hakutaku.

"Why would you announce that? It wouldn't just hurt me you know, it would affect your chances with those girls. I don't particularly care about your sex life, but surely you must've realized that."

Hakutaku stared at Hozuki blankly.

 _He hadn't realized that._

"Ugh. What did you want to talk to me about?" Hozuki asked, irritated. "Make it quick, I don't want to have to spend any more time outside with you than necessary."

"What the hell do you think!" Hakutaku shouted. "We had sex!"

A couple walking by stared and whispered to each other, quickly looking away after a quick glare from Hozuki.

"Keep it down," the demon said, roughly pulling Hakutaku by the collar further into the shadows. "And what about it? It doesn't look like it affected you in any way, you're still bringing girls over and seemed to be having quite a bit of fun in that bar until you shoved your foot in your mouth."

" _Not affected?"_ Hakutaku was even angrier now. "I couldn't bring myself to pick up girls for weeks! I ended up paying for Dakki because I thought she'd bring me back to normal!"

Dakki? The expensive hostess? Hakutaku had almost gotten himself in debt the last time he bought her if Hozuki's memory served him correctly.

"I didn't want to see you. At all," Hakutaku continued. "I didn't want to look at your face. But it irritated me that you avoided me."

He shoved Hozuki against the wall with a pained expression on his face, one Hozuki had never seen before.

"I didn't know why. I _don't_ know why. I don't know what I want from you. I don't even know why I called you out here." Hakutaku's teeth were clenched as he gripped the front of Hozuki's kimono. "It's all your fucking fault! Why'd you have to do that that night? Why'd you have to kiss me? Wh—"

Hakutaku's sentence was stopped short as Hozuki pulled him into a kiss.

—

Hakutaku didn't know what he expected from Hozuki when he called him out, but it certainly wasn't this. One of Hozuki's hands was around his waist, and the other was grasping his head, pulling him into a kiss. Hakutaku's mouth opened in an O in surprise, allowing Hozuki's tongue access to his; exploring Hakutaku, tasting him. After a moment Hozuki let go, leaving the other man bewildered and panting.

Hakutaku didn't know what to think. His brain was drowning in alcohol and his body was on fire. Hozuki himself looked a little flushed, from what Hakutaku could make out in the dim light of the streetlights and flashing signs around their secluded corner.

"I didn't know what I wanted at first either," Hozuki said, breaking the silence, "But soon it became obvious. This is why I was avoiding you."

Hakutaku was stunned. _That's_ what Hozuki wanted?

"Don't misunderstand. I still despise you and I have no intention of being gentle with you. For whatever reason, my body wants yours and it's as simple as that."

Hozuki's face was always unreadable, but at that moment he looked especially serious.

If Hozuki wanted _that_ …then what did Hakutaku want? He thought back to the previous weeks when he'd found himself having difficulty picking up girls. When he did manage to do so, his efforts were half-hearted, and when he slept with them it was never enough. All the while, his mind would bring him back to Hozuki.

 _Ah_. It made sense now.

Hakutaku stared Hozuki in the eyes, inching closer. Then he brought the demon into another kiss.

—

Hozuki was surprised when Hakutaku had kissed him but quickly reciprocated. He tasted strongly of sake, enough that Hozuki wouldn't be surprised if he got drunk on kissing alone. Hakutaku's hands felt up his body, exploring under his clothes, touching, feeling.

After a few minutes, they were both growing hard, and Hakutaku began panting and grinding himself against Hozuki. He abandoned the demon's lips in favour of pulling his pants down and reaching into Hozuki's kimono.

"What are you doing?"

Hakutaku didn't answer.

Hozuki looked to the street; they were in a quiet spot where people rarely walked by, but this was still risky. He debated pushing Hakutaku away, but seeing the desperation in his eyes and actions, he found it difficult to. Getting to see Hakutaku like this was what made the sex ten times better; Hozuki found it both pathetic and enticing at once.

"Fine. Just keep quiet," Hozuki said, wrapping his fingers around Hakutaku's cock. Hakutaku gasped in return, then began stroking Hozuki as well, biting back moans.

Hozuki watched the street from the corner of his eye; people walked past occasionally but didn't spot him or his companion hiding in the shadows. Music and laughter could be heard in the distance, and Hakutaku was impressively quiet in comparison.

Hakutaku's stroking became slower and eventually idled as he began losing himself to the pleasure. Desperately grinding into Hozuki's hand and bucking his hips, he came, mouth about to open in a gasping moan—

Hozuki pulled him roughly to his lips and kissed him, stifling it. They kissed for a while until Hakutaku leaned his head down on Hozuki's shoulder.

"Hakutaku." Hozuki was irritated. That idiot had gotten himself off first and forgotten about Hozuki. Hozuki was only doing this to sate his own desire in the first place, not to act as some beast's sex toy.

"Hakutaku." He wouldn't lift up his head, so Hozuki forced him off of his body.

 _You've got to be kidding me._

Hakutaku's eyes were closed and he looked quite blissfully and peacefully asleep.

Hozuki brought a hand to his temple and sighed.This useless lump that was supposed to get him off had drifted off to sleep, leaving Hozuki to tend to himself. Throwing Hakutaku to the ground, the demon debated with himself. Should he just leave Hakutaku there? He wasn't obligated to help him; it was his fault for drinking so much anyway.

Hakutaku stirred slightly and mumbled something.

"Ho...ki…"

Hozuki sighed. He was only doing this so Hakutaku would have to pay him back later. Swiftly lifting Hakutaku up onto his shoulder, Hozuki went to find a taxi to take them to Togenkyo.

—

 _Oh no._

It was morning, and Hakutaku didn't know what to do. He was naked in his bed, which wasn't really a big deal, but it was the person beside him that sent him into shock.

 _Why is Hozuki here?_

Hozuki turned over, yawning.

"Oh. Good morning, Hakubuta."

Hakutaku pulled the white sheet to his chest in an attempt to cover himself up.

" _What are you doing here?"_ His voice was a pitch higher than usual..

"You don't remember? You were drunk and I brought you home. You're welcome." Hozuki almost sounded bored.

Hakutaku gaped at the man lying in his bed, then at his own naked body.

"And you…you slept with me? While I was _drunk?"_

"Don't be ridiculous," Hozuki replied, annoyed. "You fell asleep on the street, I took you home, you woke up, and then you started taking all your clothes off. Practically threw yourself at me, in fact. I had to fend you off." Hakutaku stared at him. "Eventually you passed out again."

Was that really what happened? Well, Hakutaku's ass didn't hurt for one thing. And there was no come on the bed sheets. And Hozuki was fully dressed.

"I guess you really didn't lay a hand on me…" Hakutaku said quietly, almost feeling a little guilty for accusing him.

Hozuki coughed. "Well, that's not entirely true. You came onto me last night and we jerked each other off in an alleyway."

" _What?"_ Hakutaku brought the sheet higher up his chest.

"Or, well, I jerked _you_ off in an alleyway, you gave up halfway, came, then left me to tend to myself. I'll forgive you since you were drunk, but I expect something in return."

Hozuki turned to the door, leaving Hakutaku, stunned, behind.


	5. Bold Steps

Hakutaku couldn't think straight all day. Luckily it happened to be a quiet day for the pharmacy, and Momotaro could fill in for the things Hakutaku was too distracted to do.

Finally, lunchtime rolled around Hakutaku headed to the kitchen to make some soup, racking his brain for memories of that night to piece together while he chopped vegetables.

 _I came on to Hozuki?_

It sounded preposterous to him, and he shoved the thought aside, aiming his focus on the knife and vegetables in front of him. He managed to forget about it for a few minutes, before sudden flashes of memory came to him that made him freeze.

Oh no.

 _I came on to Hozuki._

He remembered it. He remembered initiating the kiss, reaching into Hozuki's kimono, and—

He shuddered. There was no denying it. There he was in his mind's eye, making out with the man he hated the most, then going for his dick.

But it wasn't just that. It was what Hozuki said to him that got to him.

 _Hozuki desires me._

Hakutaku didn't know how to feel. Shock? Disgust? Triumph? He'd gotten the demon to admit something rather personal and embarrassing to him, after all.

But Hakutaku didn't feel any of those things.

He flushed a little as he remembered his actions that night, the desperation he felt, how badly he wanted Hozuki. He remembered the conclusion he came to after hearing Hozuki's confession. A conclusion he was coming to now.

 _...I want him too._

Hakutaku dropped the knife.

"Hakutaku?" Momotaro came bounding into the kitchen. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Hakutaku faced away from him, hiding his expression as he walked swiftly toward his room, locking the door and sitting on the bed with his head in his hands.

 _Fuck._

This was the reason he was so out of it lately, why he couldn't pick up women, why he had so little interest in them when he did. He couldn't believe himself.

And what was with Hozuki? Since when had he been interested in sex? Obviously it had to be since before they slept together that first time, but he certainly didn't show it. And why Hakutaku? Hakutaku hated to admit it but Hozuki was a good-looking guy, not to mention a man with a powerful position in Jigoku. He could have any woman he wished for. Hakutaku was a man, and a man he hated to boot. It just didn't make sense.

Hakutaku wondered what would happen now. Hozuki had told him how he felt. He also knew how Hakutaku felt, thanks to the alcohol doing away with his inhibitions that night, as well as any scrap of sanity he had left. They both wanted each other. Would they just carry on as normal without saying a word about it?

Hakutaku thought back to the confusing and uncomfortable weeks he'd spent alone after sleeping with Hozuki. He didn't want to go back to that.

He had decided. With a word of goodbye to Momotaro, Hakutaku went to Jigoku.

—

Hozuki was in his room when Hakutaku barged in. In the span of a second, the demon sent his club hurtling toward Hakutaku, pinning him to the wall.

"I keep the door unlocked not as an invitation, but because I expect people to have the courtesy to knock before entering," Hozuki said, unfazed. He walked to the door, locked it, then threw Hakutaku onto the bed.

"Why did you come here?"

Hakutaku sat up suddenly, pulling Hozuki onto the bed as well and pinning him to the mattress.

"What exactly do you want from me?" he asked, spoken more like a statement than a question.

"What I want?"

"Yes. When you kissed me, and I kissed you, what were your expectations?" Hakutaku's face was inches away from Hozuki's, his eyes fierce. Hozuki paused before answering.

"I wanted you."

"Yes, and? Once? Twice?"

"Elaborate."

"I'm asking you if you'd want it to happen again." Hakutaku straddled his waist, clutching at the front of his kimono. _"How many times."_

 _Oh._

Hozuki thought about it. The answer was obvious, with all the dreams he'd been having, the kinds of thoughts that had been plaguing his mind on the daily. He met Hakutaku's eyes with the same intensity.

"As many as possible."

That was all Hakutaku needed to hear. He pulled Hozuki into a kiss.

—

After a minute, Hakutaku pulled back.

"You have my cell number and I have yours," he panted, "We can call each other when we want to meet up." He began stripping Hozuki of his kimono.

"Nights are better for me. We can alternate whose place we go to, or perhaps go to a hotel occasionally," Hozuki replied. He stopped Hakutaku. "I can't do this right now, I have other obligations." He was hard, but now really wasn't a good time.

Hakutaku frowned, but got off of him, adjusting his clothes. "Fine. I'll meet you here tonight." He unlocked the door, checked to see if anyone was nearby, then left.

—

Hozuki was a little stunned. He hadn't expected Hakutaku to do that; to come to his room of all places, straddle his lap, and ask Hozuki for _more._ While working, he found himself feeling excited for the night to come; distracted, but in a way that was different than before. With a face like Hozuki's it was difficult for others to recognize his good mood, but they felt that Hozuki seemed a bit more himself than he had been of late.

Night came, and at around 12 am, while Hozuki was reading at his desk, he heard the clack of his door opening. Hakutaku quietly stepped in and locked it behind him. He didn't say a word, just sat on Hozuki's bed and started undressing.

Hozuki followed him, and began to remove his kimono.

"You know you still haven't paid me back for not leaving you to sleep in an alleyway," Hozuki said, his voice low.

"And you still haven't been punished for taking advantage of me while I was drunk. I didn't know you had those kinds of hobbies," Hakutaku snarked back.

"I don't. But a sex-crazed womanizer like you doesn't deserve my sympathy or respect."

"As if a ruthless demon like you deserves mine."

Hakutaku lead Hozuki to the bed and pushed him down before climbing on top of him. "We're doing it this way today, since you got to do whatever you wanted with me."

"I think you're misremembering that night, but be my guest," Hozuki replied, reaching into a drawer to get some salve and coating his fingers with it.

"What are you doing? I can do it myself," Hakutaku grabbed the tin from Hozuki's hand and coated his fingers as well, then leaned back to stretch himself open.

Hozuki lay silently, raking his eyes up Hakutaku's nude body. He'd seen it before, of course, but only once when he was drunk out of his mind, and another time when he was trying to shove Hakutaku in bed. Hakutaku was muscular but slim, with small pink nipples Hozuki resisted the urge to touch. Instead, he focused on Hakutaku's fingers entering his hole, the way he shivered, his eyelids fluttering, the little sounds he bit back whenever he grazed over his prostate.

Hakutaku opened his eyes to see Hozuki staring at him quite intensely. He flushed and stopped moving.

"What are you looking at?"

"The view," Hozuki replied coolly. In truth he was very turned on, but Hakutaku didn't need to know that. "You were the one who chose this position."

"Shut up."

Hakutaku pretended it didn't bother him and continued stretching himself. After a few minutes, he stopped and removed his fingers.

"We should be good now," he said, moving to rest on Hozuki's thighs as he reached for the demon's member. Hakutaku's eyes widened.

Hozuki was big, something his drunk self had never noticed. He would've wondered whether it would fit if he hadn't already done this before.

"Well, go ahead," Hozuki said. He was hard, yet his expression hadn't changed at all.

Hakutaku glared at him before positioning Hozuki's cock against his hole and pushing down.

" _Ah!"_

He clamped his own mouth shut with his hand. Hakutaku had forgotten what it felt like to be filled up; if he'd realized Hozuki's size, he would've stretched himself out for longer. It had been awhile since the last time he'd taken a dick, so it would take some getting used to. He closed his eyes as he slowly lowered himself down to the hilt.

Hozuki watched Hakutaku with interested eyes. It seemed that he was in pain, but pain wasn't the only thing he was feeling. Hozuki closed his eyes as well, taking in Hakutaku's warmth and tightness, savouring it.

After a few minutes, Hakutaku began moving. His hands were pressed against Hozuki's stomach as he slowly lifted and lowered himself onto the demon's cock. The pain gradually became secondary as Hakutaku accommodated for Hozuki's size, adjusting his position so the demon's cock hit him in just the right way. Hakutaku closed his eyes, concentrating on the pressure inside him, the feeling of being so full, the pleasure thrumming inside him threatening to burst.

Hozuki resisted the urge to thrust up into Hakutaku's heat. Truthfully, he'd rather push Hakutaku down and take him any way he liked, thrusting roughly out of anger, and hate, and lust — but this too had its own charm. Seeing Hakutaku shamelessly getting himself off using Hozuki's cock was quite a sight.

Hakutaku's own cock was hard and dripping wet, so far untouched. Small sounds began to spill from his lips; he covered his mouth with one of his hands and used the other to stroke himself, getting faster, faster. The room was filled with the sound of slick skin on skin and heavy breathing; Hozuki himself suppressing groans as Hakutaku pounded against him.

Hozuki wondered what people would do if they knew what was going on in his room at that moment. That Hozuki, _Hozuki_ of all people had brought a man into his room, the very man he hated the most? That he was fucking him right under their very roof? He would rather kill Hakutaku than let it slip that he had had sex with someone as disgusting as him, but it was also the very act of keeping the secret that Hozuki liked.

He watched Hakutaku chasing his release, and began to thrust back a little bit, testing his reaction. The pitch of Hakutaku's voice changed, becoming higher as Hozuki aimed at the places Hakutaku had shown he liked.

 _Good reaction,_ he thought, and began to thrust harder, with purpose. They continued like this, Hakutaku's noises gradually becoming louder and more desperate.

Eventually Hakutaku began to lose focus, his hand slipping from his mouth. He let out a small gasp, followed by a quiet, desperate whine that Hozuki could barely hear:

"H…zuki!"

Hozuki couldn't take it anymore. He flipped their positions and began pounding Hakutaku into the mattress, biting Hakutaku's neck at the same time.

" _Ah! Ah!"_ Hakutaku's hand was no longer covering his mouth, and moans spilled through his lips.

"Bite my shoulder if you can't keep quiet," Hozuki said, leaning forward so Hakutaku's mouth could reach. Hakutaku did so, his cries now muffled, but unceasing.

Hozuki continued thrusting ruthlessly, aiming to graze over Hakutaku's prostate each time. From the look and sound of it, he was succeeding, as Hakutaku bit harder into his shoulder and the muffled moans became louder. Hakutaku's cock was leaking furiously, and Hozuki could tell he was close. He himself was close.

Hozuki wrapped one hand around Hakutaku's length and began stroking in time with his thrusts.

" _Mmmmph!"_

Hakutaku squirmed underneath him then came, crying into Hozuki's shoulder. Hozuki continued until he finished as well, riding out his orgasm with slow, shallow thrusts.

When Hakutaku let go of Hozuki's shoulder, he gasped, collapsing against the pillow. Heavy breathing filled the room, eventually slowing to a normal pace as the two men caught their breath.

"I said…we were…" Hakutaku didn't finish his sentence. He was annoyed Hozuki had changed their positions, but too tired at that moment to protest.

Hozuki collected himself quickly, slightly out of breath but otherwise sitting calmly on the bed.

"How long do you need?" he asked after a minute.

"How long do I need for what?"

"How long do you need to rest? Before the next round." Hozuki looked Hakutaku in the eyes. He didn't look like he was joking.

"Are you serious?" Hakutaku asked, bewildered. "You want to go again?"

Hozuki stared at him blankly, as if to say, _"Obviously."_

Hakutaku shuddered. Demons had crazy stamina, apparently. Or maybe it was just Hozuki? He wouldn't be surprised; Hozuki was a demon among demons.

Hakutaku thought about it for a minute. It _had_ felt good, better than any he'd gotten in ages, and they still had the rest of the night ahead of them. Should he go for another round?

 _Why not._

"Give me ten minutes," Hakutaku said. "And this time I'm staying on top."


End file.
